


Here & Now

by JessKo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Camping, Feelings Realization, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Shore Leave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-27 22:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20768252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Finally having been convinced to take shore leave, Thrawn decides to take Eli to Lysatra. Tucked away in a remote cabin, they finally have time to realize what has been unspoken for far too long.Prompt fill for some good old fashioned Thranto fluff ala vacation for MotherRameses!





	Here & Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MotherRameses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherRameses/gifts).

Eli always knew Thrawn had an interest in Lysatra solely because he was from there. The planet, right on the edge of Wild Space, presented no tactical advantages. There were no rumors of rebel bases, and certainly no stormtrooper garrisons were present. Yet, Eli had never imagined that Thrawn’s countless questions about his home would lead to this. 

“Colonel Yularen believes that it will be good for me to ‘get away’ as he put it.” Thrawn continued from his perch behind the desk, fingers steepled under his chin as if he were studying some deep and fascinating piece of art. Instead, his blazing eyes were fixed on Eli, who stood across the flat surface separating them. 

“Yeah, I figured that much. But why Lysatra? You could go anywhere. Scarif has beautiful beaches and an art bazaar. Doesn’t that sound more interesting?” 

Thrawn paused a moment. “Would you prefer to go to Scarif, Eli?” 

“No, but it’s not about what I want. Besides, if you already put in the leave request, there’s not much we can do about it now.” Eli sighed, leaning forward on the desk. “So what exactly are you trying to get out of this?” 

Again, Thrawn hesitated, his eyes opening just a bit, a gesture only someone who has studied the Chiss’ microexpressions for years could recognize as surprise. “I am exiled from my home. You are not. I thought that you might be…” Thrawn said a word in Sy Bisti, nearly catching the human off guard. It had been months since Thrawn needed a translation. 

“Homesick.” He provided. 

“Yes. Homesick.” 

Eli squinted his eyes, leaning in further. “I know there’s more to the story. You’ll tell me when you are ready.” 

A small raise at the corner of blue lips, a barely-there nod. “There are no housing arrangements made. I assume I can entrust this task to you?” 

“If you mean to ask if we can stay at my parent’s house absolutely not. Ma about jumped out of her skin seeing you from afar. Not that they would have any problem with…” Eli gestured between them with an open hand. “This. But they are sort of stuck in their ways and well. The stories of the Chiss don’t exactly paint the kindest picture of you all.” 

“I was not suggesting that, merely noting that you know the locale better, areas of note and interest.” 

Eli realized he might have got ahead of himself, and tried not to blush. It was silly of him to think that Thrawn had planned this to meet his family. At that rate, he might as well have bought a wedding band to bring with him. No, this, what he and Thrawn had, was not that sort of arrangement. They’d truly never defined it, but if it were something more, then they would have already. 

“Was I incorrect in my assumption?” Thrawn continued, breaking the silence between them and snapping Eli from his wistful thoughts. 

“No, no. I think I have a few places that could work. I’ll make some calls and get back to you.” Standing back up, Eli ran a gloved finger over his comm. 

Not a week later, they were set loose on shore leave and unlocking the door to the remote lake cabin Eli had booked for their stay. It was close enough to civilization that he could run to a market for food, but far enough away that no locals would wander too close and stumble on a Chiss frolicking about. Eli laughed at the thought, imagining Thrawn dancing in the tall prairie grass while he plucked out a silly tune. 

“There is only one bed.” Thrawn stated as soon as he crossed the threshold, Eli holding the door open for him. 

Eli stepped in behind the taller Chiss. “No kidding. Guess when I said cabin for two, the lady assumed I’d be coming with a partner.” 

“She was not incorrect.” Thrawn offered, placing his duffel on the mattress, larger than a cot but not overwhelmingly sized as to leave some space for walking between it and the small dining table. On the other side of the cabin was a simple cooking set up and refresher closet. Regardless, it would not be large enough for them to not touch at night. 

Eli honestly could not think of that as a bad thing and this time he couldn’t fight the red that populated his face. Without warning, Thrawn pressed a delicate kiss on a freckle dusted cheek. He did not back away, invading Eli’s space in a pleasant way. 

It was like a switch had flipped, normally rigid shoulders softened and his brow relaxed. “Who are you and what did you do with my commanding officer?” Eli asked with a chuckle, voice cracking unexpectedly. 

Thrawn nodded towards the bag sitting on the bed. “The Admiral has been stowed away for the time being.” Snaking an arm around Eli’s lower back, he pulled them flush, laying another peck at the sliver of skin peeking out above Eli’s collar. 

Tossing his bag to join Thrawn’s, Eli returned the embrace. “We ought to put him away more often. I like this.” 

“I like you, Eli.” 

Thrawn felt the human in his arms tense slightly. Eli leaned back, arms loosening. Thrawn followed suit. Eli’s face was tight, as if he had taken all of Thrawn’s facade and put it on his own figure. “Is like the best word to use for this?” 

“You are the translator, not me.” 

“Thrawn, you know what I mean.” Eli immediately regretted the nerves that laced his words. He was anxious, this sort of territory staunchly avoided under all other circumstances. 

Thrawn only softened further, breaking eye contact in a very rare show of nervousness himself. “I care about you deeply. And wish that…” Thrawn repeated Eli’s hand gesture from days before. “This was something more.” 

Eli could only stare, reaching up to gently tilt Thrawn’s face back towards him. “I’d like that too, you know.” 

Pulling the human into an even tighter hug, Thrawn nestled his face in the crook of Eli’s neck. Eli squeezed back with just as much passion. “Then let us stop pretending that the opposite is the case.” 

It was true, after all. It always pained Eli to watch Thrawn slip away after a clandestine encounter, never to overstay a welcome that Eli had not even formulated into words. The problem was, Eli was afraid to define it, afraid that it would go too far, or never far enough if he knew exactly what it was. It was just easier to take whatever Thrawn would give. But little did he know that Thrawn felt the same way in some sense. 

Now, though, it could not be ignored. Eli remembered how he froze up in the office, the thoughts he’d had. Their ‘this’ had been going on for years, and to hell with it all, he loved Thrawn. 

Pulling away pained Eli, but there was something he had to do. Taking Thrawn’s hand in his own, he pulled him towards the door. “I have to show you something.” 

Intrigued and riding the high of finally being truthful with Eli, Thrawn followed behind Eli onto the cabin’s narrow porch, past a swing chair and out onto the shore of the lake. The sun was beginning to set, nearly touching the horizon, and the bright light made Eli’s wind tossed hair almost seem to cast a halo about him. 

Around the edge of the lake, tall reeds grew with small purple flowers littering thick stalks. Eli approached one seemingly at random, plucking a stalk and folding it over itself, Thrawn’s hand released and coming to rest on Eli’s shoulder. “Since you can understand art better than language…” Eli began, his accent gradually growing heavier ever since stepping foot on Lysatra. Thrawn wondered how much effort it took Eli to clip his voice while within the confines of the Empire to try and earn a shread of respect from the other humans, not even dropping this guard within Thrawn’s company. He secretly hoped Eli would find new safety in his company, and be able to relax fully into his true self moving into the future. 

Eli reached out, displaying a sort of wreath woven from the reeds, and then he placed it atop his head, the ring sitting on the crown of his skull comfortably. “Tell me what you think this means.” Eli plucked another reed and began the process again, going a bit slower so that Thrawn may see the steps. 

“It is surely a form of cranial decoration. But that is obvious. There is more.” 

“Astute observation.” Eli chuckled. “Come down here, you’re too tall.” 

Thrawn bowed his head, and Eli placed the second wreath atop his frame. 

“I have no control over my height.” 

After planting a quick kiss to Thrawn’s brow, Eli leaned in for a proper smooch. “Just teasing you.” 

Thrawn considered his previous observation. “The halo of flora could refer to a planetary deity, one who looks over the natural world.” 

“Ah, so you did your homework. But that’s not quite the full story. Lysatrans consider the planet as a whole as a deity of sorts. The planet gives us life, protects us, and we take care of her in return. Give me your hand.” 

Thrawn did that, and Eli then began braiding a reed around his wrist, the green and purple standing out against blue skin. Then the pattern began to incorporate Eli’s own wrist. His tongue slid from the corner of his mouth in concentration as he worked with only one hand. Having watched the pattern, Thrawn joined the effort, taking an end of the stalk into his control to mirror Eli’s motions. 

“Curious.” Thrawn mused, reaching the end of the reed but not wanting to move his hand away from Eli’s warm skin. Eli gave the hand woven into the reed a firm squeeze. 

“Last chance to figure it out before I tell you.” He teased, plucking a purple flower from the pattern and sticking it in the slicked back locks of Thrawn’s hair, a piece falling loose to hang down next to his brow. Matched with the flowering crown, Eli had to admit he’d not seen Thrawn so undone since their first meeting so many years ago, when the Chiss had stowed away from his planet of exile. 

Thrawn smiled, genuine and broad and Eli thought he might be blinded by this new addition. “I believe that you are about to ask me a very important question.” 

Eli’s face paled, but he’d started this and he was damn well going to finish it. “Any clue as to what that might be?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then say it.” 

Thrawn leaned in close, voice lowered to a whisper. “No, Eli. My answer is yes.” 

Without giving the human a chance to answer, or reconsider, Thrawn leaned in the rest of the distance and pressed his lips against Eli’s. Returning the kiss hungrily, Eli gripped the front of Thrawn’s tunic in his free hand, pulling him closer. 

Breaking the kiss only for air, Eli whispered, “Then with all of Lysatra as my witness, I take you as my beloved until the sun burns out and the galaxy freezes over.” 

“I’d love you even longer.” Thrawn breathed back, tangling long fingers in auburn curls and dipping down for another kiss, a desperate clash of teeth and tongue that slowed into a rhythm to match the steady assembly of evening insectoid chirping. 

“With that new star destroyer of yours, I’m sure you will.” Eli joked, hand sliding down to rest on Thrawn’s hip. 

“I have been meaning to ask about it.” Thrawn began. “Chimaera. What does that mean?” 

“It's a wild space myth, a many-headed being who rules over anything it lays its arms around.” Eli replied, beginning to delicately unwind the weaving connecting him to Thrawn. 

“Curious.” 

“That your new favorite word?” Eli asked with a grin, tossing the ruined reed into the lake before them, watching it sink down and out of sight. 

“Perhaps.” 

Eli laughed. “And there is the other one. Without me you’d have a two-word vocabulary wouldn’t you. And don’t say perhaps.” 

Thrawn narrowed his eyes, humming in protest. 

Running a finger along Thrawn’s jaw, Eli looked out to the nature before them, taking it in. It had been a while since he’d been home, and Thrawn was correct in assuming he’d missed it. 

“We should eat something before it gets dark.” Eli said softly. Thrawn slipped around to stand behind him, wrapping around the smaller human, pinching the thicker flesh over his abdomen. “Hey!” 

Thrawn chuckled softly in his ear, no more than a stuttered exhale. “I will start the fire.” 

Then, back at the cabin, the pair roasted seasoned meat on long sticks over a flame, eating right off the cooking utensils when it was ready. There was no need for etiquette out in the wilderness, and both were enjoying the sight of their partner unwinding. 

“I did not expect the temperature to rise with the sun setting.” Thrawn stated, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. 

“Yeah, and the fire isn’t helping with...” Eli began, but cut himself off as Thrawn set aside a licked clean cooking stick and pulled his tunic off, revealing a tight fitting sleeveless undershirt. “That.” 

Thrawn quirked a brow, almost tempting Eli to come closer. As the human rose to his feet, Thrawn asked quietly. “Are you not also warm? Perhaps uncomfortably so?” 

“Perhaps.” Eli replied with a wink, opening the collar of his tunic and peeling the sealing strip open to reveal an expanse of tan skin and short coarse hairs. 

These were sights each had seen hundreds of times before, but it never got any less enchanting to see the reveal of the object of their desires. 

Sauntering over to Thrawn, Eli slid down onto his lap, touching along exposed shoulders and squeezing toned biceps. Thrawn was more adventurous, opening Eli’s tunic further and sliding it down his arms. 

“Wait.” Eli interrupted, and Thrawn froze. “I know this has already been extremely spur of the moment and impulsive but I need to know that when we get back on duty, that in private… We’ll still have this. Just like this.” 

Eli’s eyes were wide, brown and pleading and absolutely soul-wrenching. Thrawn didn’t know that this would be the outcome of shore leave, but now that he’d had a taste of Eli’s affections. True affections, not just physicality and pleasantries shared every other week when their off duty time lined up. Thrawn knew he could never turn back to how things were, and he’d meant every word he said by the lake. 

“Absolutely.” 

Eli kissed him deeply, pressing against Thrawn in every way he could, nearly knocking the Chiss back off the bench where he sat. After a ravenous kiss, Thrawn wrapped his arms firmly around Eli and rose, carrying the smaller human with him, who nuzzled against his collarbone. “Where too?” Eli murmured into Thrawn’s chest and the Chiss toed the door open. 

There may have only been one bed, but it was plenty big enough for Thrawn to set Eli down and slide in beside him, being greeted by a tangle of limbs. Another kiss, and sweet nothings shared, Thrawn muttered something, a few lilting syllables that sounded like lovely, strange music. He’d still had words he wanted to say, he realized, and had been unable to keep them in. 

“What was that?” Eli asked, enthralled. 

“I love you, Eli. In every language, in every system. Eternally.” 

And in at least two, they were now bound. 


End file.
